Sense of belonging in spaces: Migrants' re-territorialisation practices

The increasing number of people moving to different countries has marked the world as a significant event in the past couple of decades. This phenomenon has raised various questions about the identity of new immigrants and the place they should call home. As the world is currently discussing immigration, the authorities must take the necessary steps to establish a link between the architecture and the identity of new migrants. The movement and migration of people have continued to shape the composition and making of communities and neighborhoods in different regions and cities. J. Hou (2013) offers current examples of communities that shaped their new surroundings. He notes that immigrants have been instrumental in revitalizing many urban landscapes in North America. Also, in Seattle, Vietnamese businesses have transformed a struggling area into a dynamic commercial district. In Los Angeles, Latino immigrants transform the city's streets and yards into social gathering places where they can create murals. In Canada's Richmond, an Asian market has become a cultural event that draws visitors from across the border. In another instance, N. Montagna (2016) presents; Milan's Chinatown as an example and claims that, today, Milan's Chinatown is not a Chinese residential area nor a tourist district. Instead, it is an ethnic commercial and cultural enclave located near its central business district. In all examples, migrants created places that resemble a sense of belonging and identity and help them feel seen. The more migrants shaped and transformed their surroundings more they felt a sense of home. All examples exhibit that migrants created places that resemble a sense of belonging and help them feel seen. Therefore, different rituals and cultures come together and transform their spaces. J. Hou(2013) sees these transformations as a challenge for researchers while creating contemporary and diverse cities. Even though different communities are populated enough to create sacred spaces to perform rituals in many multicultural cities, in some cities that are not considered to be as multicultural as shown in the previous examples, different communities may not be able to practice their cultures in profound (non- traditional) structures. In these cases, the transformation of functions may only be possible on smaller scales. Even small transformations of different functions can show the ways people who moved from one place to another maintain their identity and create a sense of belonging as well as show the true and unique identity of the cities. Culture builds identity in ways that make a community's space a common point of reference. Such common spaces can be religious places or other elements such as a community center and café are also commonly featured in these spaces. The main objective of this thesis is to look into the effects of migrants' on the built environment of their new non-multicultural home cities. Aside from focusing on architecture, the other aim of this research is also related to the issues surrounding migrants' settlement.